


Team Miraculous

by Cornerverse



Series: Hero Chat AU [5]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Chloé needs better parents, F/F, F/M, Interviews, Jagged is a Witch and y'all gotta deal with that, M/M, Some Swearing, The teachers try their best to keep up with a class full of superheroes, a bunch of oneshots, more tags to be added as I post, they're all idiots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:21:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24452803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerverse/pseuds/Cornerverse
Summary: A bunch of oneshots about the universe and events in Hero Chat that I think deserve their own fics.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Caline Bustier/Ms. Mendeleiev, Chloé Bourgeois/Alix Kubdel, Max Kanté/Lê Chiến Kim, Penny Rolling/Jagged Stone
Series: Hero Chat AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533146
Comments: 179
Kudos: 745





	1. A Bee's Defense

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is a video on the Ladyblog made in the Aftermath of this AU's version of Miracle Queen. 
> 
> Okay some of it is venting about the episode but it's In Character so you know how it be.

The video flickered to life, revealing Alya Cesaire's face.

"Hey there, guys," Alya said, far less chipper than usual. "The Ladyblog is here with the scoop on yesterday's incident. Usually I'd have the whole Miraculous Team giving an interview, but... we've decided to just give Honeybee the floor and let her explain."

With that, she moved out of frame. Behind her, one could see a living room. Likely Alya's. It was empty, except for Honeybee on the couch.

The camera moved closer, refocusing as well. Soon it was just Honeybee in frame. The Hero took a deep breath before she spoke.

"I am disappointed," Honeybee said. "And furious. Because of you, citizens of Paris. We've seen the news reports. We've heard you talk. None of you have asked for us to explain. Nor have you asked Chloé Bourgeois for her side of the story. And I would like to have her here to tell it, but you jackals have barricaded the hotel, and we can't approach without someone saying something. So we came here alone to tell you what happened yesterday."

There was a faint buzzing sound, but it disappeared with a calming breath. Fixing the camera with a glare, she started again.

"Hawkmoth Akumatized Chloé's parents," Honeybee said. "They were powerful enough that our Team needed more help, and when Ladybug went to retrieve Arashi, Hawkmoth managed to steal the rest of the Miraculous from their hiding spot. Then he went to Le Grand Paris.

"He talked to Chloé," she continued. "He confronted her on her balcony and told her that he would let her parents go if she joined him. That he would let her borrow the Tiger Miraculous until she could steal the Bee back from me. And then she could help him as Queen Bee, since Ladybug had abandoned and replaced her."

She paused, letting that information sink in.

"Can you imagine how terrified she must have been?" Honeybee asked. "Not only was her father being held hostage against her, but she was cornered on her balcony by a Supervillain. I mean, a grown man can overpower a teenage girl in most circumstances! Toss in the fact that the Miraculous makes you stronger and more agile? A man like that against a defenseless teenage girl? He could do anything to her.

"None of the Team would blame her for giving in to save herself," she said. "Nor should Paris. As I said, we have seen and heard your comments. News reports of the girl 'working for Hawkmoth'. Speculation on her motive, accusing her of throwing a tantrum over the Bee Miraculous. Snide remarks of "we thought she could be a better person, but we were wrong".

"I know what many of you will say," she went on. "That you didn't know. All you saw was a video of Hawkmoth handing Chloé a Miraculous, and then a Bee-themed Akuma showed up. But you do have the capacity to think. To question. To believe that a teenage girl, despite her previous issues, might have a legitimate reason to do what she does. The facts were all there, and a small amount of people decided to look at them. They are thanked for that."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. It was easy to see her eyes were beginning to water, as if she wanted to cry. Wiping at her face, she addressed the camera again.

"Thankfully, Chloé did not give in," Honeybee said. "She played along, just until she could safely get away. She tracked me down, and handed the Tiger Miraculous back while informing us of Hawkmoth's plan. Meanwhile, thrown off guard because he also believed that Chloé would be selfish enough to comply with him, Hawkmoth sought out another person to become Miracle Queen."

Another pause. Any tears stopped. This time her expression was not quite as furious, but filled with determination.

"While Queen Bee may never make another appearance," Honeybee said. "Chloé will always be a Hero. She will never give in to Hawkmoth. He's tried to recruit her before, but she has refused every time. And she will refuse again and again, no matter what he offers her.

Her expression shifted, though it was obvious the smile was fake.

"That's all I have to say," Honeybee said. "We might answer more questions later. But for now, this is Honeybee, signing off!"

* * *

"Are you okay?" Alya asked as soon as the camera was off.

"Fine," Honeybee said. "It just... hurts sometimes. Seeing how someone who made mistakes has to fight every day to prove they can do better."

"For what it's worth," she said. "I'm sorry. "

"You were one of the ones who believed in Chloé," She said. "That's why we came to you."

"I know but," she sighed. "I've been there before. Believing as I was told or as I saw without thinking further about the situation around it. Sometimes with y- with Chloé. Other times with things like Lila. Or just not realizing that broadcasting things might lead to consequences for my friends."

"We're all getting better," she said. "And as furious as I am at the city for believing, if they change their tune with more information, I'll let it go. Mostly."


	2. Q&A

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Short Q&A video the Heroes send to the Ladyblog! There is a reference to one chapter of Chlolix November but blink and you'll miss it.

"Hey there everyone!" Rena Rouge said to the camera. "Welcome to the Miraculous Team's first Q&A! Sorry we can't do this live, but Ladybug wants to double check that we don't give any hints to our identities!"

"That's true," Ladybug agreed. "I know we've done interviews before, but this is a bit more casual than the news stations. Though this will still be sent to the Ladyblog to be posted."

"And!" Chat jumped in. "The Ladyblog had helped us gather up some questions to answer from Twitter! And there's one I want to start with because I keep wanting to address it!"

The whole group gave a collective 'oh no' as he picked up the tablet. No one should be able to tell that they were in one of the many boardrooms of La Grand Paris, since few people got to familiarize themselves with the room. But if they did notice, the world knows that Chloé sometimes does them favors and offers space for Hero events.

But the Boardroom included a tablet and projector screen. Easy for pulling up screenshots of questions from twitter.

"@Ghostkid asks 'since Honeybee mentioned a crush on a girl in an interview with @NadjaChamak, is anyone else LGBTQ+?'," Chat read off. "I've been wanting to address this because in the news reports, everyone ran the story as 'Team Miraculous's first LGBT Hero!'. Meanwhile I've been here the whole time, but no one cares!"

"He's been like this for days," Bunnyx sighed, looking directly into the camera.

"How do people think you're straight?" Honeybee shook her head. "You run around in that outfit!

"If you're judging by outfits, then none of us are straight," Viperion said.

"I think you just proved her point," Ladybug sighed.

"I think that's enough of an answer," Carapace also sighed.

"Wouldn't it be more efficient to give proper labels for ourselves?" Pegasus asked.

"As you are the only one fully gay," Arashi said, "the rest of us can be put under an umbrella of attracted to multiple genders."

"Next question!" Roi Singe said, grabbing the tablet. "@AlienDevice asks "are you guys Furries or is the animal theme a coincidence?'."

"It's both," Honeybee said. "The Miraculous have the animal theme built in, but like half of them are Furries."

"I'm not even arguing anymore," Rena sighed.

"I'll argue it!" Chat said.

"If you're not a Furry, I'll eat my swim trunks," Roi Singe said.

"Good thing he's a Furry," Bunnyx said.

"You were complaining that you only got costume parts instead of real cat ears and a tail," Viperion said. "I'm voting Furry."

"Considering not all of us are furred creatures," Pegasus began, "technically if we were 'Furries' because of the costumes, some would be 'Scalies'. I'm not immersed enough in the sub-culture to know what the insect version of Furries are, but whatever that is applies to Ladybug and Honeybee."

"I'm not saying I'm a Furry," Carapace began, "but which category are turtles in?"

"To actually answer," Ladybug cut them off, "while some of the group might be Furries, and I don't want to open that can of worms, the animal themes are coincidence. The Miraculous are ancient artifacts and had the theme built in."

"Next," Arashi said, taking the tablet. "@SecretScience asks "who is the oldest?"

"Me," Viperion said. "I'm unfortunately the closest thing to 'adult supervision' this team has which is a terrifying thought."

"Does Time Travel count?" Bunnyx asked.

"He's still oldest anyway," Chat said.

"I think she was asking if they age while time traveling," Pegasus said. "Which is an interesting concept. Does your Miraculous prevent you from aging while in another time?"

"I'm going to have a crisis if you continue with this," Carapace sighed, taking the tablet. "Here's a good one. @fairywizard asks 'do you guys get enough sleep'?"

"No!" Everyone collectively groaned.

"Even if Hawkmoth wasn't making three am Akumas," Roi Singe sighed, "we've got lives man! I have practice in the morning! And school! And a social life!"

"Some of us have part time jobs," Viperion said. "Paying part-time jobs I mean."

"Or siblings to babysit," Rena added.

"I'm debating about using Time Travel to get us all some rest," Bunnyx said. "Just take a trip back in time to last week, rent a few hotel rooms, and just pass out until we get catch up with the timeline!"

"That is a bad idea for several reasons," Ladybug said. "But I am so tempted."

"You know what?" Chat said. "Do it. I'll pay for the hotel rooms."

"You want a big room we can all sleep in?" Honeybee asked. "Or do you want individual beds?"

"Next question," Pegasus took the tablet. "@RainbowLaserHomicide asks: How do you feel about the various merchandise people make of you? The movie? The fighting game? The toy lines?"

"The movie was..." Ladybug began. "Well animated?"

"It was bad," Bunnyx said.

"Very out of character," Carapace agreed.

"Don't remind me," Chat groaned. "If you handed me all of my lines from the movie, I wouldn't have been able to tell it was me!"

"There likely won't be a sequel," Arashi said. "Which is both fortunate and unfortunate, as I would have liked to see how they poorly portrayed me."

"It's like that episode of AtLA," Roi Singe said. "You know the one where they see a play about the show? Like that."

"That said," Rena began. "Most of you are fine. But I would like to give a special shoutout to Miraculous Merchandising created by our former Queen Bee Chloé Bourgeois, the as-of-yet-untitled fighting game made by Max Kante, and the Miraculous Comic created by Nathaniel Kurtzberg and Marc Anciel. Specifically because they're the only people who asked us for our permission before slapping our faces on things."

"I still have Acuity's number if you want a copyright lawyer," Honeybee said. "Speaking of copyright, next time we have to fight Hawkmoth one-on-one, remind me to ask him about that."

"You want to ask Hawkmoth about copyright stuff?" Viperion asked.

"Of course," she said. "He and Mayura might be supervillains, but they still have the right to either veto merchandise or to get a royalties check from products that feature them. Plus the Akumas might be considered a collaborative effort between him and the person themselves, so if Akuma Toys are made he would get a say in it."

While the whole team gave her an expression that read "that makes sense but also why in the world is that a thing?", Bunnyx took the tablet.

"Oh hey, a question about me!" Bunnyx said. "@GemBeach asks 'Why does Bunnyx look so different now?'. The answer is Time Travel!"

"Here comes the crisis again," Carapace muttered.

"I think that's called being a teenager," Rena said, patting his head.

"Anyway," Bunnyx rolled her eyes. "My power is Time Travel. The first time you guys saw me was because Future!Me hopped back in Time. So I'll look like that in a decade or so."

"My turn, I guess," Viperion said, swiping the tablet. "Hey, finally something related to Hero Business. @Melonlord asks 'What do you guys think is the relationship between Hawkmoth and Mayura?'. Good question and one I don't have an answer to!"

"Come on dude," Carapace said. "They've gotta be a couple!"

"Yeah have you seen them when they're monologuing?" Rena laughed. "All close and cuddly?"

"Not to mention they look like they're going to Dark Prom," Chat chuckled.

"True," Ladybug sighed. "But I have to admit, before we updated our costumes, they did have better ones."

"Still," Pegasus said. "It is highly likely that Hawkmoth and Mayura are in a relationship."

"I doubt you'd be an evil duo without being a couple," Roi Singe agreed.

"I might not be the best at romance," Bunnyx admitted. "But even I can tell that they have something going on."

"While I absolutely agree," Honeybee said. "I keep expecting someone to shout "She's just a FRIEND!!!!". Like, if Hawkmoth is watching this broadcast and brings this up next time we fight, I am going to scream."

"Especially if he ignores your questions on copyright issues," Arashi said.

"Just give me the tablet," Honeybee snapped, snatching it out of her hands. "Here we go. @WaffleIron asks 'if Ladybug and Chat were out of commission or Akumatized, which one of y'all would be leader and/or replacement?'. I'm going to add an amendment where you can't vote for yourself, because trust me, we've had that conversation!”

“Can I vote for retired heroes?” Chat asked. “Because if so…”

“No,” Ladybug said.

“Fine,” Chat shrugged. “In that case, I do think Honeybee could be a decent replacement for either of us. But if we’re both out then LB’s to her and mine to Arashi.”

“Really?” Honeybee asked. “I was going to say Rena and Carapace because they have as much experience as I do.”

“I get the logic,” Carapace said. “You have experience with a weapon similar to Ladybug’s, and I’ve seen you work with makeshift weapons you find on the ground.”

“And me?” Arashi asked.

“You are very straight to the point,” Viperion said. “Cataclysm might be a decent power for you, but I don’t think the convoluted nature of Lucky Charm is quite your vibe.”

“If weapons are a requirement, then my weapon is pretty similar to Chat’s” Roi Singe said. “I know you said you can’t vote for yourself, but I’m hoping to convince someone else.

“I love you,” Pegasus said, putting a hand on Roi Singe’s shoulder. “But you with Cataclysm is a bad idea.”

There was a pause. Most of the Team had looks of terror at imagining Roi Singe with Cataclysm at his command. The Hero in question, however, began tearing up. But not because of the seemingly rude comment.

Within a second, he had picked up Pegasus and was hugging the smaller Hero tight. Sobbing somewhat incoherently.

“Was…” Ladybug tried not to laugh. “Was that the first time you told him you loved him?”

“I believe it might have been?” Pegasus admitted.

“Okay,” Bunnyx sighed. “You two can go find a closet to make out in later. For now, I’m also voting for Honeybee being replacement LB, if only because I’ve seen an Alternate Timeline where she did great.”

“I hate that I agree with the logic of me not being replacement LB,” Rena sighed, taking the tablet. “@SweatersInSummer asks ‘Who’s your favorite musician and least favorite musician?’. Well, barring certain DJs and indie bands like Kitty Section, I’m pretty sure most everyone here votes Jagged Stone as their favorite!”

“True,” Both Ladybug and Chat said.

“I think we’d be jumped by his crocodile if we said anything else,” Bunnyx said.

“Stop reminding me about the crocodile,” Carapace said.

“I like the crocodile,” Arashi said.

“Everyone does,” Viperion said. “I think I speak for everyone when I say our least favorite is XY?”

There was a collective groan from the whole team. Even Roi Singe and Pegasus, who were still kinda wrapped up in their own emotional drama.

“God yes,” Honeybee said. “Even as basic junk pop, he’s annoying. I would pay to watch Jagged punch him in the face!”

“I’ll do it for free!” Viperion said.

“No punching civilians,” Ladybug reminded him, taking the tablet. “Though maybe send Kitty Section the number of that copywright lawyer. Last question of the night! @Klatznik asks ‘What are your plans for after Hawkmoth and Mayura are defeated? Like, will you retire or keep being Heroes?’. Which is a good question.”

“Honestly, I’d keep going,” Chat shrugged. “We end up taking on some petty crime while out on patrols. And if more Magical threats come to Paris, we’d be a good defense.”

“Unless I find a better way to help people,” Arashi said. “Then I will continue this line of work.”

“I already know I keep going,” Bunnyx said.

“Same, honestly,” Honeybee said. “Sometimes you don’t find your purpose, your purpose finds you.”

“That’s existential again,” Carapace said. “But same, my dudes.”

“I think we all agree we’ll keep going then,” Ladybug said. “Team Miraculous is here to stay. Even though the video is over. Bug out!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the twitter handles are references to certain fandoms. See if you can guess them all~!


	3. Resin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time attempting to write a few characters and I think it went pretty well. 
> 
> Also Jagged Stone is the only ML Character I can write saying "Y'all" so I'm having fun!!

Everything was spinning. Chloé's head was pounding. Even though she knew the room was only the next one over, she still spent just a little too long looking at the blurry room number before knocking.

Penny answered the door, first confused, then shocked, and finally landing on concerned.

"Are you okay?" Penny asked.

"I need Jagged's help with something," Chloé answered, her voice strained from a sore throat, and muffled from using a scarf as a makeshift mask over her mouth. "Big thing. Kind of an emergency."

Reluctantly, Penny let her in. Fang was excited, nearly tripping her. Thankfully Jagged had better reflexes.

"Watch yourself, kid," Jagged said, helping her to the couch. "You don't look so hot."

"That's why I'm here," Chloé said.

She held a hair comb in her hand. With a moments hesitation, she thrust it into his hands. Pollen appeared, freaking Penny out and making Fang stare at the small creature with a combination of mischief and mild annoyance.

"Jagged Stone, this is the Miraculous of the Bee," Chloé said. "Pollen can explain your powers. I need a nap."

"What in the world is going on?" Penny asked. 

"Hello," Jagged said, scratching the top of Pollen's head. "I bet you're the little Fae that's been teasing Fang."

"He tried to eat me," Pollen said, eyeing the crocodile. "Luckily I have tricks of my own."

"Honeybee's out of town for a bit," Chloé lied. "Ladybug gave me the Bee as a temporary solution, then I got sick. Swinging around Paris is a bad idea when I can't stand without being dizzy. You seem a little too... okay with Pollen though. Most people freak out at the giant bee."

"I'm familiar with Magic," Jagged admitted. "And Fang told me about a little Faerie in your room lately."

Chloé wasn't sure if she was just sick or of that sounded suspicious. Oh well. She didn't care right now.

"Look," Chloé said, shaking her head and then immediately regretting it. "There's an Akuma, Ladybug needs the Bee. And you're the only person I can trust to do it since I can't."

"Maybe Penny should," Jagged said. "This kind of Magic ain't something I'm used to. Don't know how compatible it'll be."

"Penny doesn't have enough power for the Miraculous," she countered. "But you do. And I think you're already aware of that."

He dodged the question, looking between Penny and Fang. Eventually he sighed, putting the Miraculous in his hair.

"Okay, I have a basic idea from seeing y'all fight," Jagged said. "The Bee has that Venom power that freezes people. Use that and I'll be on a timer, right?"

"Actually," Pollen said. "The timer is only for younger people who cannot handle too much Magic. Most adults can stay transformed indefinitely and use their power multiple times. Especially someone familiar with Magic like yourself."

"Remind me to yell at whoever decided to pick Teenagers to fight," Penny sighed. "Seriously, I was upset enough when I fount out teenagers were chosen to protect the city. But knowing you're fighting at such a disadvantage?"

"That's how most people react," Chloé shrugged. "Freak out at the giant bee, then offer to yell at people."

"To transform you say 'Pollen, Buzz On'," Pollen explained. "To detransform is 'Buzz Off, and to paralyze someone you shout 'Venom' and then hit them with the point of your weapon."

"Anything else?" Jagged asked.

"Just a thank you," Pollen said. "For helping Chloé. Both now and some times before."

"Hush and hurry up," Chloé coughed. "The Team needs a Bee."

"Pollen, Buzz On!"

Jagged's costume honestly didn't change much from his normal outfit. His black jacket was less sparkly, going with just black leather with yellow accents. Under that he had a yellow shirt, the collar upturned and just a few buttons undone. The gloves were the same, though patterned with hexagons.

The pants were still yellow with black stripes, though they were horizontal instead of vertical, and had thicker stripes as well. The boots were nearly unchanged, though there would probably be some Bee-themed decor on the sole. The purple tips of his hair were now a golden yellow, and his mask looked pretty typical for the Heroes.

Interestingly, Fang also had a mask. And his collar had changed silver spikes for gold.

"Sorry Fang," Jagged said. "You can't come with me for this one."

The crocodile huffed, glaring at him.

"I don't care what glamours are in place," Jagged said. "How many people would show up with a crocodile?! Too obvious! Pen, you agree with me, right?"

"I can't say I disagree," Penny said. "Though I'm worried you'll be too obvious anyway."

"Trust me, it's not obvious," Chloé said. "Now go!"

* * *

To say Ladybug was surprised by the new Hero that showed up was an understatement. She knew Chloé was sick, but she hadn't expected her to find a new Hero! Especially since she wouldn't be able to get out of her hotel that easily.

"Who...?" Rena began to ask.

"Sorry for the confusion," the new Hero said. "Queen Bee's sick, and she said your usual Bee's unavailable."

The other four shared a look. It was sort of a plan Chloé had come up with. If she's stuck in a bind, say Honeybee trusted her to be Queen Bee. They would have to remember to not slip up on that.

"What's your Hero name?" Carapace asked.

"Call me Resin," the new Bee replied.

"Well, that 'resin-ates' with me!" Chat said.

"I like this one!" Resin laughed. "So, what's the situation?"

Turning her attention back to the streets below, Ladybug sighed and began to formulate a plan.

"The Akuma calls herself Alpha Wolf," Ladybug said. "If she bites someone, they turn into minion wolves. And the minions can bite people to."

"Usually the werewolves are in London, not Paris," Resin said.

"I think we'll get along great," Chat said, with a grin that caused everyone else to groan.

"Focus, guys," Rena said.

"I'm totally focused!" Resin said. "Don't get bit by the wolves."

"If you do get bit you'll be fine," Carapace said. "Their teeth aren't sharp enough to get past the Magic supersuit. It still hurts though."

"The big one is Alpha Wolf," Rena said, pointing to the center of the pack. "Pretty sure the Butterfly's in her necklace. If you see a chance to grab it, go for it."

Resin nodded, and the five jumped into the fray. Wolves were on them in a second. Chat, Rena and Carapace had an easier time, as their weapons were better suited for close-combat. Ladybug, on the other hand, had her yoyo. Usable, but tricky.

Worried about her new Teammate, who had a similar weapon and a lot less experience, she looked over. Resin didn't seem to have a lot of fighting experience, but he was pretty in shape. He seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite pinpoint it.

She watched as another wolf tackled him, and he went down. Damn. She reeled back to throw her yoyo and pull it off of him, but Resin acted first.

"Venom!"

As he hit the wolf in the chest, it froze in place. It was easy for him to push it off of himself and get back up. The man had a wild grin. Like he was simultaneously terrified, and having the time of his life. 

"That was too early for Venom!" Ladybug shouted.

"We gotta do this faster then," Chat said.

"Don't worry, kids!" Resin shouted back. "I have a few tricks up my sleeves!"

He shouted again, and hit another wolf. That one went down too.

"What the fuck?!" Rena shouted.

"Oh," Carapace said, shielding himself from another attack. "Adults can use their powers more than once."

"I totally forgot that," Ladybug said, ducking under a wolf. "It's nice to be able to plan without worrying about single uses."

"Just be careful!" Chat shouted, spinning and tossing a wolf away. "You might have a lot more uses than us, but you can still over do it!"

"Trust me," Resin grinned. "I know my Magic limits."

That was odd. He sounded like he knew what he was doing, but Ladybug decided to keep an eye on him. If Resin began looking too tired, she'd get him out of the fight.

Still though, a few Venoms managed to take out a chunk of the pack, making them easier to fight. And with all civilians having evacuated, getting more minions would be difficult. Now to get rid of the rest.

"Carapace!" Ladybug shouted. "When I give the command, use your power."

"On it!" Carapace shouted back.

Ladybug ran, gathering up all her teammates one by one. Soon enough, the whole pack was chasing them. She stopped them, letting the wolves close in.

"Resin," Ladybug said quietly. "You grab Rena and Carapace. I'll get Chat."

"Gotcha!" Resin nodded, grabbing the two in question.

The wolves were cautious, trying to think out what she was planning. Still, as the Heroes stared them down, the wolves circled closer.

"Now!"

"Shelter!"

Ladybug and Resin threw their weapons at the building across, pulling their respective cargo with them. They barely made it out as a green barrier trapped the pack. Wolves threw themselves at the wall, but none could break it. 

The only one left outside was Alpha Wolf. And with five against one, it was an easy takedown.

"Venom!"

"Cataclysm!"

As the Butterfly flew out from the destroyed necklace, it was quickly snatched up by Ladybug's yoyo. She released it, before taking her Lucky Charm. It had been a hexagon shaped bracelet, a hint that the Bee was needed. Though she wasn't sure if Lucky Charm knew they'd have a different Bee.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

The usual wave of Magic washed over everything, returning the wolves to normal people. Alpha Wolf detransformed into a normal looking blonde. Resin was the first over to help her up.

"You okay, miss?" Resin asked.

"Yeah, I-" the woman stared at him, clearly flustered. "F-fine. Who are you?"

"Temporary Hero," Ladybug interjected. "Our usual Bee was out for today."

"Can you explain what happened?" Rena asked.

"Ugh," the woman said. "I was at the zoo looking at their wolf habitat and some idiot decided to flirt with me using 'Alpha wolf' science. Not sure what annoyed be more. The outdated facts he was using or the fact that he was not getting the hint!"

"So not 'Rock n' Roll," Resin muttered.

"Yikes," Chat said. "I know we're Heroes but-"

"We're not beating up creeps at the zoo," Carapace said.

"If the guy bothers you again, call the cops," Ladybug said.

* * *

After assuring Ladybug that he'd be fine, Resin made his way back to the hotel.

He took the long route, both because he knew to avoid reporters and because swinging around the city was actually pretty cool! After he was sure that no one had followed him, he dropped onto the suite's balcony. Detransforming, Pollen reappeared and settled tiredly onto his shoulder.

The moment he walked back through the balcony doors, Penny nearly tackled him.

"Whoa, watch it Pen," Jagged chucked. "What happened to remaining professional?"

"I just saw you jumped by a pack of wolves," Penny replied. "Fuck professionalism."

A small smile on his face, Jagged walked her back over to the couch. The tv was on, showing a news broadcast about the Akuma and interest in 'Resin'. Of course she kept an eye on the fight.

Chloé was still on the other couch. She'd fallen asleep, with Fang curled protectively around her and a blanket pulled up over her shoulders.

"How's Goldilocks doing?" Jagged asked.

"Still sick, of course," Penny said. "I offered to order her soup while we waited, but she just muttered something about soup being 'an utterly ridiculous abomination' before passing out. Kind of glad though. She didn't get to see...

"I told you I was fine," he said. "Magic Supersuit. I doubt even Fang could get through that!"

The crocodile in question made a gruffling noise, clearly insulted.

"It's still terrifying to watch," Penny sighed. "I can disconnect when it's the weird magic battles but a pack of wolves is different. Even if they're Magic wolves."

"Those suits make you feel invincible," Jagged said. "And for the most part, there's bite behind the bark. Still freaky to have a wolf jump you. And I can't imagine how Goldilocks and Maribug and the rest of them do this all the time."

"They don't!" Pollen said, quickly flying into his face with a worried expression. "Chloé is only a temporary Hero! She's only been in a few battles!"

Jagged just smiled softly, reaching up and petting the small creature's head before letting her rest in his palm. From the couch, Fang gave him such a jealous look. Too bad.

"You little Faerie things might think to hide from people," Jagged said. "But none of you hide from Fang. He's mentioned the little Faerie that bothers him in Chloé's room lately. And the one that Marinette brings with her. And that the Agreste kid and the pink-haired skatergirl that hang out over there a lot have them too."

Pollen contemplated that. Looking back and forth between Jagged and Fang, she finally seemed to get it.

"A Familiar," Pollen mused. "I thought he seemed a bit smarter than most animals."

Fang huffed at that. Clearly rolling his eyes.

"It's also been a while since I met a Witch," Pollen said, giving a respectful bow.

"Don't be too impressed," Jagged laughed. "I might have a few tricks up my sleeve, but I'm not much of a spell caster."

"Still better than me," Penny said. "Chloé was right about me not being Magic at all, really."

"But you two have known about... this?" Pollen asked.

"There ain't much I can do about it," Jagged sighed. "Figured interfering was a bad idea unless invited. I might be a rebel, but rules of Magic are different than a noise complaint! And I do have my own things to do. Can't just drop my career to take over their operation. But I'm not going to let a bunch of kids do this without at least a little support!"

"Maybe the news reports are a more on point than they think," Penny smiled. "For once."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"The news speculating about 'Resin'," she said. "Their current theory is that you're Honeybee's dad."

He gave her a look before glancing at the tv. Sure enough, the reporter was still showing the fight, and was also putting up a few blurry pictures of Resin. And at the bottom the scroll read "Team Miraculous' Dad???".

If it had been a little over a year ago, he would've laughed. After all, he's Jagged fucking Stone. Rockstar. Not the best influence on kids, even if he was a better influence than some rockstars due to a lack of 'bad habits'. But he was still loud, immature, rebellious, and so many other things that are not at all 'parent material'. 

Yet...

"Someone has to be a parent to her," Jagged said. "Stars know her mother isn't doing the job."

"Yeah," Pollen agreed. "Audrey is... a lot of things. But none of them are 'motherly'."

"I don't think much of the mayor either," Penny frowned. "He seems nicer, but I know he's not around much. And Chloé would rather let Fang break into her room than express displeasure with a guest's antics."

"How the fuck am I parent material?" Jagged asked, beginning to have a sort of crisis.

"Not hard compared to Audrey," Pollen said, patting his head. "But I think you're doing a decent job!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, Broke: "Uncle!Jagged!"
> 
> Me, Woke: "Papa!Jagged!"
> 
> On that note, yeah I personally like the idea that more people know about the Ideneities than they let on, but know it's supposed to be a secret and that they probably can't help much anyway, so they do what they can.


	4. Copyright Issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love legal talk!
> 
> (Also friendly reminder that Lila had more Akumas in this AU)

Chloé walked into class, carrying a large box. Sabrina offered to help her, which was a grateful surprise nowadays, but she had it handled. The box was dropped onto her desk, and she began pulling out papers. 

"Chloé," Miss Bustier asked warily. "What.... is this?"

"Legal paperwork!" Chloé answered. "That most of you need to fill out."

Several people muttered their confusion. They were ignored. Frowning, Chloé looked around for her coffee before remembering she left it in the car so she could carry the box. Damn it. 

Shrugging, she went back to handing out packets. 

"Miraculous Merchandising is working on a line of Akuma toys," Chloé explained. "Since all of you have been Akumas we'd be making toys out of, there's a little bit of paperwork involved in the copyright process. Basically we need permission, and you're also entitled to royalties, but you can decline!"

"Copyright?" Mylene asked, warily. 

"Royalties?" Nathaniel spoke up for once, slightly interested. 

"Maybe you should explain slower," Alix suggested. 

True. Alix was the only one she'd really discussed this with before in-depth. 

"As I said, we're working on an Akuma toy line," Chloé repeated, continuing to pass out papers. "That would involve making toys of the Akumas you've become in the past. Legally, I have to get your permission to do that. Because technically it's toys of you guys. That also means that, if you wish, you can get a percentage of profits from any toys we sell."

Well. That certainly got the attention of everyone. As soon as she handed out the papers, they were all hungrily reading through them. Some were already digging for pens. 

"Before you sign," Chloé began, "let me explain a little more. The first contract is whether or not we have permission to use your Akuma. You can decline, of course. And toys of that Akuma won't be made at all. Second is the subject of the money you'll get. You could decline the money altogether, you can keep the percentage of profits offered, or you can opt to have your percentage donated to a charity of your choice!"

"Uh, Chloé," Juleka said, her voice barely audible. "I think you gave me two."

Sure enough, Juleka's stack was double the size of Rose's. she tried to hand it back, but Chloé refused. 

"Some of you have more paperwork than others," Chloé said. "Because you were Akumatized multiple times or had something special. In your case, there's a contract for Reflekta merchandise, and a second for the Reflektdoll. Alya and Nino both have a second contract for Oblivio, but as they were both that Akuma they're splitting Royalties for it."

Chloé continued the rounds, waiting. She was sure there would be some questions, either about the contracts themselves or the toys. By the time she handed Miss Bustier the paperwork for Zombizou, a certain voice said something. 

"I'm sorry to bother you," Lila said, not looking sorry at all. "But I think you didn't give me all of the paperwork. There are some things missing."

Despite wanting to roll her eyes, Chloé kept a smile on her face. Though there was a slight twitch to her grin. 

"While we are making toys of Volpina, Miraculer, and Miracle Queen," Chloé said, making sure to list off all her Akumatizations, "we can't really make a toy out of Chameleon or that knock-off Felix thing. Chameleon 2.0? Whatever."

"Why not?" Lila demanded. 

"Because it's not much of an Akuma," she shrugged. "Chameleon didn't have a form other than you, and we aren't making a 'Lila Rossi doll'. Even if we used the forms Chameleon changed into, you don't have copyright over Adrien, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Chat Noir, that random toddler, or Felix. Those people do, and they'd get the contract for it."

"Then why not get shared royalties?" She asked. 

"As I said, those Akumas aren't... Akuma-y enough," she repeated. "I'm not sure why you care that much though. I figured you'd go for the charity donation choice like your 'bff Ladybug'!"

Rose and Mylene immediately jumped on that idea, offering charity choices. Meanwhile, Chloé kept her grin, playing the airhead most assumed she was. All Lila could do was give the same grin, though hers barely concealed rage, knowing she was trapped into giving up her royalty check. Technically she could still sign to get the money deposited directly to her, but social pressure and the need to keep up her lies might work. 

"Anyway," Chloé shrugged. "Feel free to look those over with your parents and maybe a lawyer if you wish. They need to be turned in by Friday or I will hunt you down. Speaking of, I need to go hand the rest of these to other students and staff before the bell rings."


	5. Teachers, Protectors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ended up really long but I wanted to do this so.... here we go!

Caline Bustier did not like the school system. 

One would think that she should like it, as she was a teacher. But that is exactly why she hated it with a passion. 

Caline is a Teacher. She loves teaching her students and trying to help them become better people. But the school's systems did not allow for that. 

Even if she had a class size that allowed her to get to know her students individually enough to help them, there were rules in place. Very stupid rules that were created to avoid lawsuits from people unfit to be parents. 

It didn't matter if she noticed something.... wrong with a student. No matter how obvious the signs of depression, bullying, abuse, or even just something as simple as a learning disability was, she was told not to interfere unless the child came to her, or she saw something directly. 

And even if she did, well, it didn't matter if she knew Student A had probably said or done something to provoke Student B into a fight. The system required her to only report what she was present for, and disregard the rest as 'conflicting testimony'. 

Especially if Student A's parents were rich and/or powerful. Then it was a gamble over whether the parents would abuse their power to have school staff fired and replaced with people who would let their kids do whatever they wanted. 

It was a horrible system, but Caline did what she could, encouraging her students to come forward about their issues. Few did. And after being unable to help for a while, she had begun to give up. 

Then Hawkmoth happened. 

Caline felt guilty that first few days. After all, the first Akuma, Stoneheart, was one of her students. She knew that Ivan was having issues with Kim, but when it began to turn physical, she'd only told him to go to the principal's office. 

Logically she knew that even if she had stopped to resolve the situation properly, that Butterfly would've just found someone else angry and upset. But it was her student. Her responsibility. She wanted to protect them, even if she'd failed in the past. 

When the school staff held a conference about what to do, many teachers were enraged to find out that very little would be done. The most was that if an Akuma appeared on or near school grounds, classes would be canceled for the rest of the day. 

But nothing to helping prevent Akumas. Or to help in the aftermath. Teachers managed to fight for an optional meditation/yoga class during lunch, but that was the extent of what they were allowed to do. 

* * *

The evening after that meeting was the first time Hawkmoth had come for Caline. And the only person who knew about it was Dimitra Mendeleiev. 

Both teachers had been in their classrooms when Dimitra heard Caline scream and a loud thud, as if someone had thrown a heavy textbook at a wall. She had sprinted into the classroom next door, only to find Caline curled up on the ground and attempting to not listen to the villain. 

Instead of running away, Dimitra tried a different approach. She searched Caline, eventually finding that her bracelet had turned black, and tore off the item. One of those black Butterflies emerged, telling her she'd done it right. 

Since she couldn't purify it like Ladybug could, Dimitra looked around before finding an empty glass jar. She might not be the best Butterfly catcher, but she managed to scoop it in and set it on the desk before checking on her coworker. 

By that point, Caline had calmed down, though she was still eyeing the Butterfly warily. 

"What are we going to do with it?" Caline asked. "I'm not sure how to contact Ladybug, though we could always flag her down next attack."

"Or," Dimitra said, a thoughtful grin on her face, "I think this little Butterfly is my new test subject!"

"Test subject?" She raised an eyebrow. 

"Yep," she nodded. "Think about it. A little testing, maybe some dissection, and who knows what this little guy could tell?"

"It's Magic," she said. "Not science."

"There has to be a science of Magic!" She retorted, rolling her eyes. "Even if it 'magically' breaks regular scientific laws, it can still be researched and studied. If I can figure out how it works, I might be able to find a way to prevent it!"

Despite the lingering terror, Caline couldn't help but give a soft smile at the scientist. Dimitra always looked best when she had that curious and excited (and slightly manic) expression, though it was usually hidden behind a grumpy frown. 

Then, to their surprise, the Butterfly changed. It went from dark purple to a stark white. Like when Ladybug purified it. 

"What happened?" Caline asked. 

"Damn," Dimitra muttered. "Hawkmoth must've realized he's not getting anything out of us right now. He feeds on negativity, which we're currently lacking. Hopefully I can still get something out of this Butterfly though!"

"I wouldn't say we're lacking negativity," she mused. "After all, you seem to be just as upset as I am about not protecting the students."

The scowl was back. Along with an accompanying glare. But they both knew she was right. 

Both teachers came to an agreement that night. Fuck the rules and fuck the system. They were going to protect these kids as best they could. 

* * *

They spent the night talking and planning. After all, they would have to do this in a way that let them keep their jobs. By the time they shared morning coffee on the way back to the school, they had ideas in place. 

The first was easiest, but something to do in the moment. If a student was getting upset, remove them from the situation and help them calm down. It might seem like they were in trouble at first, but talking to them would help. 

Hopefully it would calm them down enough to keep any Butterflies at bay. And if not, well... it gave the rest of the students time to run. 

The second part of it was harder. More long-term. But it was to pay as much attention as possible, and learn how to help the students. 

The teachers had different methods, and had learned before that those don't always work on kids. Rose responded better to Dimitra's strict and direct approach. Meanwhile, Kim saw that as a challenge, and was easily placated by Caline's softer style. The same could be said of the students in the other class. The teachers would give information back and forth to see who worked better, and then try and focus on those students. 

Caline was happy to see her class was getting better. Shy students like Juleka and Mylene were coming out of their shells. Kim's schoolwork was going from 'barely staying on the athletic team' to actually decent. Most arguments were resolved quickly. 

Probably the biggest improvement was Marinette. Though it had begun before the teachers implemented their plan, she had really stepped up this year. Helping others with both tasks and their problems, making more friends, connecting the class together. 

On the other hand... there was Chloé. Problems with her couldn't be resolved as quickly. And as her father was definitely the kind with the power to hire and fire, there wasn't much they could do. They did what they could. Diverting incidents, removing others from the situation, so on and so forth. 

Still, while she was a 'problem', she was still another student. She deserved to be helped just as much as the others. 

Dimitra started first, believing that Chloé's attitude stemmed from a lack of being told 'no'. After all, the girl's father seemed willing to do whatever to make his daughter happy. Yet all that got was pushback. Bitterness and anger that made her worse. 

Then, one day, Caline asked Chloé to answer a question, just like she does with all the students. When she told her the answer was correct, Chloé's face seemed to light up. And her mood stayed at that high throughout the rest of the day. 

The next day, Caline tried again. And even though Chloé got the answer wrong, she still seemed happy when Caline told her it was a good effort. 

They changed strategies. Bad behavior was shut down and ignored. Good was praised. Suddenly there were a few more good days. 

That made her wonder how often Chloé got positive comments. Sure, her father seemed to buy anything for her, but is that the same? And her mother....

Let's just say that after a few drinks, Caline's curiousity got the better of her and she looked up the Style Queen. Audrey Bourgeois hadn't been in Paris in years, and had one hell of a reputation for being a grade A bitch to everyone. Caline could only imagine that it must be the same for her daughter. Suddenly the fog was lifted, and those bratty actions seemed quite obvious signs of emotional abuse. 

That time it was Dimitra's turn to be almost Akumatized, feeling so much guilt for not recognizing the familiar signs. Luckily she saw the Butterfly before it landed and her fury was replaced with excitement at the prospect of dissecting one of those again. Which turned it into a normal Butterfly once more. 

After that, their resolve strengthened. Pay attention. Notice what they do. Find out why. 

Then again, that can cause revelations they really shouldn't have. 

* * *

Caline noticed that out of all of her students, two seemed to miss quite a lot of class. 

At first it was explainable. Marinette was slow to get up in the mornings, and would usually rush into class a little late. Never more than five minutes after the bell though. And if she disappeared on a bathroom trip for a while... well. Caline remembered being a teenage girl. Sometimes things sneak up on you.

Adrien, on the other hand, had an adjusted schedule for his work. It wasn't supposed to be too bad. Most photoshoots would be kept to after classes and on weekends, but occasionally they'd need to have him leave early and give them more time in the sunlight. As long as he kept his grades up it shouldn't be a problem.

However, both began to disappear for long periods of time. 

Marinette would ask to go to the bathroom and return hours later, or sometimes not at all. She'd claim she felt sick and went home, but it was beginning to be concerning how often she was 'sick'

Adrien would claim that he had a photoshoot. When asked why his father's assistant hadn't sent an email about it, he would say either "it must've slipped Nathalie's mind since she's not used to having to inform you" or "it was a last-minute change because of the weather this weekend".

It was suspicious. Extra suspicious because both students disappeared at the same time. Were they skipping classes to hang out? They didn't seem like the type to skip. Or at least not the type to skip so often. Perhaps something else was going on with them? 

The reason suddenly smacked her in the face one day. Right after she had handed out a test, an Akuma Alert sounded off. Before either student had asked to leave, she was already planning out when to have them retake the test. 

As both students ran out with their sketchy excuses, Caline contemplated this. Though she wasn't the science teacher, she understood the idea of Pavlov. Why did she associate the Akuma Alert with her students skipping class? 

Because they skipped class every time an Akuma happened. 

But why? Surely they weren't running toward the...

It took all of her willpower not to scream out just then. Some of the students might have noticed her expression, but none took their full attention away from their tests. 

Making sure her computer was muted, Caline pulled up a newsfeed of the Akuma fight. It was just Mr. Pigeon again, and the Heroes took him down quickly before sprinting off. 

A few moments later, both students returned to class, a little frazzled and out of breath. 

It took even more willpower that she was unaware she had to keep from saying anything. Especially as she quietly looked between images of Paris's Heroes and the students in front of her. 

It felt like forever before school was over. As the students went home, Caline went to the class next door. She locked the doors with only her and Dimitra inside before sitting down and laying her head on a desk. 

"Long day?" Dimitra asked. 

"They're children," Caline said, her voice a horrified whisper. 

"This is a school," she mused. 

"Not the students," she shook her head. "Well, technically them. But not what I mean. I just... oh my god."

Dimitra got up, a concerned frown on her face. She attempted to give a comforting pat but seemed more unsure. 

"Who are you talking about?" Dimitra asked. 

"The Heroes," Caline swallowed. "They're- they're just kids. Teenagers."

"They do look rather young," she mused. "Did something happen during that attack earlier? I wasn't watching the news."

"Just the pigeon again," she shook her head. "But just like every Akuma attack, Marinette and Adrien suddenly have to disappear."

Dimitra frowned at her, thinking it over in her head. Connecting the same dots. 

"You're not seriously-" Dimitra began. 

"I am," Caline said, getting up and pacing. "Every time an Akuma shows up, those two disappear. And now that I'm noticing it, when there's an Akuma at school, Ladybug and Chat Noir show up before the alerts even go out! And the rest of the day I just kept looking between them and the pictures online and it's so obvious! How has no one noticed?! How didn't I notice until now?!"

"They are also the only students of yours who haven't been Akumatized," she mused. 

"Thanks for the reminder," she groaned. "Is that why so many of them were Akumatized? Does Hawkmoth know?"

"Eh, probably not," she shrugged. "I'm not a Magic Expert, but it's probably like magnets. Mostly in that when asked about them you say "fuck you I don't know!". But I'd assume that Magic attracts Magic. Hawkmoth might have narrowed down the location, but obviously not the students in question since he hasn't gone to them directly. Or he has no clue and it's all coincidence."

That got Caline to laugh a little. Just a little though. She mostly just deflated, leaning against Dimitra's shoulder. 

Dimitra kind of hovered, unsure how to react. The scientist had never been the comforting type, but she tried, gently wrapping an arm around Caline. 

"You have some sort of plan," Dimitra said, not really asking.

"Other than finding whoever decided to make teenagers do this and kicking their ass?" Caline wondered. "Help them where we can. I don't know about you, but I think 'saving the city from being destroyed again' is a good excuse for absences."

"Fudging the records," she said. 

"I can't in good conscience give them detention for being Heroes," she said. "I know Marinette already got in trouble with her parents for that. And I don't want to imagine what Adrien's father would think if he heard how much class he missed."

"That's fair," she said. "Might need to work on some makeup sessions for their classwork though. I refuse to let them fall behind, Heroics be damned."

That got a much better laugh out of Caline. 

* * *

A few weeks later she wouldn't be laughing. Not when she saw Marinette so very upset and a prime target for Akumatization. Like usual, Caline dragged the girl into the hallway to try and calm her down. Half of it was probably panicked nonsense. 

God how she wished she could tell the girl very bluntly what she knew. That she understood Marinette's frustration, that her emotions were valid, but that screaming and yelling and calling names would get her nowhere with Chloé, as the girl's actions were motivated by years of emotional abuse and therefore she responded better to positive reinforcement. 

But she couldn't say that. Even with her 'fuck the system' mentality, she couldn't say certain things lest she be fired. And the latter half about Chloé was not her place to say. 

She resolved to just calming Marinette down, for now. Trying to remind her that things aren't always what they seem. It turned into some speech about staying calm, showing kindness and love. 

It didn't work, as there was a dark purple Butterfly heading their way. 

No matter which student, Caline would have done anything she could to protect them. None of them should have to go through that. 

But not only did she shield Marinette from its fluttering wings, Caline began to panic at the idea of an Akumatized Ladybug. The Butterfly was drawn to her far too easily. 

This time, Dimitra wasn't there to save her. And the knowledge that the Butterfly would only go after Marinette next was pushing her over the edge, no matter how frantically the girl tried to tell her to think positive. 

Though both options hurt her, it would be better to give in and force Ladybug to defeat her than it would be to let Ladybug be Akumatized. 

The next thing Caline knew, she was on top of the Eiffel Tower. Guilt welling up at having been unable to protect her students. Especially when Chloé apologized for it being her fault. 

Several hours later, Caline was at home and Dimitra was handing her an ice cream sundae with every topping they had on hand piled on. 

"That is a monstrosity," Caline muttered. 

"You got Akumatized," Dimitra replied. "I'd pour you a drink, but it's Tuesday and alcoholism is a bad path."

She had to give her that. 

* * *

There were smaller ice cream days when they saw new Heroes, just as young as the first ones. Especially Queen Bee. 

Caline didn't know what happened that day, but she knew Chloé's mother was back in the city. And she knew that when the class commented on Chloé's 'need for attention', both Adrien and Marinette shut that down. 

She was proud of them. Learning that things weren't always black and white, and still doing their best to help.

* * *

Then Heroes' Day happened. And that was a disaster. But nothing was more of a disaster than the next Akuma attack during class after that. 

"There's five of them now," Caline groaned, flopping into the couch. 

"Five what?" Dimitra asked. 

"Heroes in my class," she said. 

Dimitra frowned. That cute frown that she used when thinking, not the scowl. After a moment she connected the dots. 

"I thought Rena Rouge and Carapace looked familiar," Dimitra said. "Cesaire and Lahiffe. Who's Honeybee?"

"Still Chloé," Caline said. "Just using a new name and costume while banking on whatever Magic keeps people from recognizing them. I didn't realize it until all five practically ran out of class at an Akuma Alert."

"Magic is one explanation," she rolled her eyes. "But there's also the more mundane explanation!"

"Which is what?" She wondered. 

"That it's so simple a solution that no one would be stupid enough to try," she answered. 

"Just get the ice cream out," she sighed. 

* * *

A week later, Caline sat at her computer frowning at the screen. 

She knew most of her students fairly well. Which is why this morning didn't sit right with her. 

Marinette was a kind and sweet girl, who went out of her way to help everyone. She even began to help Chloé, after realizing the girl wasn't just the brat she appeared to be. 

So when Marinette began questioning Lila.... it made Caline suspicious. 

Right now she was looking at Lila's file. There were scans of the doctor notes that Lila had given her when the girl first came to school. It listed the tinnitus and arthritis, among other things. The notes looked legitimate, and even if Lila seemed fine, she could just be having a good day. Caline's mother has arthritis too, and the woman could switch between cleaning their entire house one day and being too in pain to move the next. She wasn't going to judge Lila just because she could move fine right now.

Caline focused instead on the emails to Lila's mother. While being out of school for months was highly unusual, the initial email made sense. Mrs. Rossi had a long business trip to Achu and decided to take her daughter with as they had no one in Paris who could watch her. Caline had replied, and kept Mrs. Rossi up to date with class assignments. All of which Lila had completed and sent in. 

The only thing left to be suspicious over was Lila's stories of knowing celebrities. Caline hadn't thought anything of it, given the fact that several of her students also had connections or were famous in their own right. There were even five Superheroes in the class!

But then, hadn't one of Lila's stories been about being close with Ladybug? As Marinette clearly wasn't friends with the girl, that one had to be a lie. Perhaps the other connections were lies too. Caline remembered past students and even kids from when she was still in school who would lie about celebrities for quick friends. 

Perhaps Marinette had realized quicker than the others, as she was one of the people Lila lied about. Though her skepticism was warranted, from what Caline could tell, the illnesses, injuries and absences were true. Just in case she'd have Damocles call Mrs. Rossi in for a meeting. 

For now though, she'd wait and keep an eye on things. Push them in the right direction as best she could.

* * *

"I'm choosing to look at this as a positive thing," Dimitra said, still digging into the monstrous sundae. 

"In what world..." Caline sighed, snagging a spoonful that was mostly chocolate fudge. 

"My Akuma name," she grinned. "It was 'Kwamibuster'. Considering the rest of it had a 'Ghostbusters' theme, I can assume that 'Kwami' is the name of those creatures! Which gives me a better starting point!"

Dimitra was already talking about potential research, pulling out her sketches and notes on the creatures she'd found. But as Caline looked at them, something stood out. 

Despite the... skill with which the creatures were drawn, three of them were recognizable because of their colors and patterns. Red with black spots was a ladybug. Yellow with black stripes was a bee. Orange with a fluffy, white-tipped tail was a fox. After that trio, it was easy to connect the black and green blobs to a cat and a turtle. Again, despite the... artistry. 

"I'm not sure you should look more into this," Caline frowned. 

"I won't get Akumatized again," Dimitra sighed. 

"Not what I mean," she said. "These creatures. They resemble a ladybug, a cat, a fox, a turtle and a bee. That combination can't be a coincidence."

Muttering a swear, Dimitra began massaging an oncoming headache. The papers were shuffled as notes were read over again. Eventually she gathered them up into a neat stack. 

"Okay," Dimitra said. "I'm not going to publish my findings or try to capture those things again. But I still want to know what their connection to the Heroes are!"

"You know," Caline grinned. "I think this is a good time to introduce you to the world of Magical Girl anime!"

* * *

Caline was grading tests after school when she heard an argument outside her classroom. Sighing, she got up and opened the door. There were two teachers. Armand D'Argencourt, the P.E. teacher, and Bastien Travers, the art teacher. 

"Why are you bickering outside my door?" Caline wondered, leaning against the frame. 

"Because I needed to speak with you," Armand answered. "And Bastien decided that he must speak to you first when my revelation is far more important!"

"I'm sure it is," Bastien said. "But I need to speak to her too. And I don't think it would be good for too many to overhear."

Unsure what this could be about, Caline invited them in. Both men hesitated, but did enter. They then stood awkwardly, hoping the other would leave.

"So," Caline said. "What's this about?"

Both men hesitated again. Which was annoying. 

"Guys," Caline prompted. 

"Well," Bastien began. "I... think some of your students might be Superheroes."

"Interesting," Armand said, raising an eyebrow at the other Teacher. "I was here about a similar question."

Oh boy. This was definitely turning into an "ice cream day". Caline was glad that running from Akumas still burned off calories. 

"Explain," Caline said. "Bastien, you first."

"Nathaniel used to draw his classmates," Bastien said. "Now he draws the Heroes. Every time I go to help him on a sketch, I guess it's one of your students instead of the Hero he's sketching. Nathaniel believes it's his lack of skill leading me to confuse people with similar body types and hairstyles, but I know better. I kept thinking on it, and now it seems obvious."

Huh. That made a surprising amount of sense. It would be surprising if Nathaniel didn't figure it out eventually. 

"And you?" Caline asked the other teacher. 

"One of my fencing students, Kagami Tsurugi, recently became the Hero called Ryuko," Armand said. "Kagami is new to Paris and has very few friends, so I wondered how the Heroes trusted her enough to let her join them. Then I realized that the one friend she has is Adrien, who looks an awful lot like a certain Hero that has shown some fencing skill in the past. Not to mention a few other students have suddenly started showing a lot of athletic skill that they didn't have before certain Heroes showed up."

Caline hadn't even thought of that one. All of the running and swinging and fighting must've built up some muscle. Now that she thinks about it, Marinette has been less clumsy when not panicking. And Chloé recently lifted Adrien in a fireman's carry with ease. 

"So," Caline said. "You two were coming to me because you figured I probably noticed five of my students running out of class every Akuma attack."

"So you did notice?" Bastion asked. 

"Why haven't you done something?" Armand demanded. 

"What would you have me do?" Caline sighed, leaning against her desk. "As much as I don't want them risking their lives, I can't just confiscate their powers and hand them to someone more capable! I don't even know if that'll work! Dimitra thinks that there's probably some kind of Magical Compatibility that makes it so they're the only options! Because what kind of asshole makes kids fight this battle?!"

"Dimitra knows too?" Bastien wondered. 

"You think I can keep secrets from her?" She replied. "Ugh. I'm bringing you two to ice cream night. You're going to need it."

"What does ice cream have to do with anything?" Armand asked. 

"Trust me," she said, grabbing her phone and sending Dimitra a quick text. "When you see the kids in action, you'll want a drink. But if you give in, it might count as alcoholism. Ice cream's a better alternative."

* * *

It was good to have two more teachers in on their secrets. And it was interesting to learn that both teachers had their own "fuck the system" plan in place. 

Bastien had turned the art club into a safe haven. A place for students to express their emotions in creative ways. No matter how sad, scared, angry, stressed, or frustrated someone was, creativity was a good outlet. By the time they finished a piece, they would at least feel calmer. Usually they'd think of a solution to their issues as well. 

Armand had a similar approach, as exercise could be a good way to let off steam. However, he had also taken to showing his students a few self-defense moves and ways to use the environment as weapons. Nothing too wild, as he couldn't risk his job, but it did lead to a satisfying "THONK" as an Akuma got hit with a dodgeball. 

They soon found that while the four of them were the only ones to realize who the Heroes were, other teachers had done similar things to help their students. 

Fred and Evelyn, the theatre and music teachers, had started what they called "karaoke therapy". Where a student could get on stage or in one of the soundproofed practice rooms, pick a song to express their emotions, and sing their hearts out. 

Guinevere, the school nurse, had taken to teaching people basic first aid whenever they ended up in her office. 

Most other teachers would stay in their classrooms during lunch and for hours after school instead of disappearing faster than the students after the bell, like they used to do. Kids were getting actual tutoring, grades were improving, and there was less frustration when they didn't understand things. 

It was refreshing, in a way. Nothing like a crisis with a supervillain to make the teachers band together and decide "fuck the system!".

* * *

Today had been a hell of a day. Caline had known it would be bad as soon as she found that anonymous note.

Marinette would never cheat on a test. Caline knew that. But she couldn’t ignore it. And when Marinette and Lila began arguing, she sent them to the principal’s office so that she could get class started and join them in a few minutes to talk this out. 

She hadn’t expected it to end with Lila at the bottom of the stairs. Even with Lila assuring the nurse that she was fine, that ‘thanks to her old acrobatic skills’ she managed to keep from getting too injured and only hurt her knee, Caline felt sick at the idea of something worse happening.

Then the accusation of theft was brought up. And the necklace in Marinette’s locker… it was confusing. Because it didn’t make any sense. Marinette doesn’t cheat. She doesn’t push people down stairs. She doesn’t steal things. 

It was a relief when Lila admitted to her ‘lying disease’. That made several things make sense again. Made Caline feel like she hadn’t completely failed her students yet.

Still, as she sat in her classroom the next day, updating Lila’s file with the doctor note she had brought in, Caline couldn’t help but wonder.

A lying disease might explain some things. But not all. Compulsive liars would lie on the spot. They wouldn’t plan things out. That cheat sheet and the necklace had to be planted somehow.

Perhaps Lila had taken issue with Marinette trying to prove her lies, and decided to do something about it. Which was horrible. But without more proof, Caline couldn’t do much. And even with proof, Lila was still one of her students. She deserved just as much protection and help as the others.

Caline resolved to keep a closer eye on the situation. At least with the reveal of the lying disease, the class should take Lila’s claims with a grain of salt.

* * *

 **Gingersnap:** Ice cream night. Like a big one.

 **Science 2: Electric Boogaloo:** It’s literally a Saturday. You haven’t had to interact with the kids at all.

 **Under the Sea:** You haven’t seen the news yet, have you?

 **Sir Stabs-A-Lot:** She’s likely too out of her mind on chemical fumes to read.

 **Science 2: Electric Boogaloo:** I’m not too out of my mind on chem fumes to fight you!

 **Under the Sea:** I think that proves the point.

 **Gingersnap:** The ‘news’ is that Ladybug is making the newer heroes also permanent.

 **Gingersnap:** Which means I now have eight students who will run out of class at a moment’s notice. Eight out of fifteen. Half my class disappears at random and has to do makeup work.

 **Gingersnap:** And who knows which one is going to get a Miraculous next? How long do you think it will be before fourteen students zip out of here???

 **Gingersnap:** (:

 **Sir Stabs-A-Lot:** I wonder how they think you don’t know.

 **Under The Sea:** Perhaps you should tell them you know so that they can rotate out? Or at least set up their own make-up classes.

 **Science 2: Electric Boogaloo:** Eh. They have a few of the smart kids on the team. Should be easy enough for them to figure out study groups.

 **Gingersnap:** Just get down here for ice cream night or I will eat this alone in the dark and leave the dishes for you to clean up.

 **Science 2: Electric Boogaloo:** Jokes on you. I have a drillbrush and sketchy chemicals and I am not afraid of ruining the dishware entirely. 

**Sir Stabs-A-Lot:** I’ll show up just to watch this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know people in the fandom get salty toward Miss Bustier for certain things but honestly she's a hell of a lot better than most teachers I had.


	6. A Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This accompanies Chapter 50 of the Hero Chat!

Marinette hadn't been worried when Chloé set up the video camera in class. 

Okay. Maybe she was a little worried. After their talk on whether or not to have the Team reveal identities, she was a little on edge anyway.  But there was no way Chloé could know everyone. Even if she had figured out all the classmate's identities, there were two more she didn't know. Couldn't know.

Chloé had never met Luka. She'd seen him on instagram, but the Miraculous' Glamour should keep her from recognizing him. 

Then there was Chat Noir. Even Marinette didn't know who he was. It was highly likely that, with all the teenage boys in Paris, he could be someone they've never even crossed paths with!

However, when Chloé sat on Miss Bustier's desk, typed something on her phone, and Marinette felt her own phone vibrate with messages…

That worried her. 

"So!" Chloé grinned mischievously. "Several of you just received a message! You might want to check it!"

Pretty much everyone pulled out their phones, but only half of them actually had the message.

Marinette's confusion and anxiety grew as she opened the Hero Chat and saw their usernames had been changed. Going down the list, her stomach felt like it dropped as she realized that every name fit correctly. Everyone else was getting the same feeling, as there were several screams of "what the fuck?!" And "holy shit that was you?!" And "oh god we're idiots!". Much to the confusion of the classmates out of the loop.

Her heart felt like it stopped looking at one name. There was no way. No fucking way she could somehow be that lucky and unlucky at the same time. 

Then again, what is she supposed to expect from the pair who wielded the powers of good and bad luck?

It seemed to hit him at the same time, as Adrien turned to stare at her. And god it looked so damn obvious now.  However, realizing certain things, her shock turned to rage. Adrien must have noticed, as he looked a little terrified.

"You… motherfucker!" Marinette shouted, pouncing out of her seat. 

Adrien slid off his chair to avoid her. He scrambled upright, holding his hands up in the general "please don't kill me!" Pose. 

"I had no idea I swear!" Adrien said. "Okay I knew about most of them and guessed on Alya and Nino because it was becoming a coincidence but I had no idea you were-"

"Do you have any idea?" Marinette began, stepping toward him and making him back up into the teacher's desk. "Do you have any idea how much confusion and heartbreak you've caused me because of this? We are in a goddamn lovesquare!"

"Oh my god it's a lovesquare," Alya groaned, her head thunking on her desk. 

Several other thunks followed from the other teammates. The other half of the class was watching with growing concern.

"A love square?" Adrien asked. 

That made Marinette pounce at him again. This time he hopped onto a table before leaping over her to another table. Alya barely got her phone out of the way in time. 

"Bugaboo we can talk about this!" Adrien said. 

The nickname only made Marinette follow him up onto the desks, which gave everyone a heart attack. She could vaguely hear concern for her clumsy nature and how she might slip and break her neck but she didn't care. 

Marinette threw the first punch, which Adrien dodged just as easily as he did on the rooftops. 

He also returned the hit just as easily. Marinette blocked before throwing another of her own. The pair continued to exchange blows, practically dancing across the tabletops. Flipping out of the way, or jumping after the other. 

The ‘dance’ finally ended when Marinette managed to tackle him off the desk. Tumbling and rolling onto the floor, they landed with Marinette sitting on his stomach while her hands had a firm grip on the front of his shirt. 

“I’m getting some mixed signals here,” Adrien said, his face bright red. 

“Good,” Marinette replied. “Because you’re the idiot I keep rejecting you for!”

“Oh,” he said. “You know what that’s valid, you can kill me.”

With that line, all of her rage and frustration vanished. Now she was just laughing. Adrien wriggled out from under her, and was laughing as well. They sure were a pair of idiots, weren’t they? She’d been practically going gray over the stress to her love life, and here was the solution. 

Wait. ‘going gray’. Hadn’t Chloé said something about that? How long had she known…

Marinette looked up to the teachers desk, only to find Chloé gone. Looking around, she wasn’t anywhere in the class. 

“Where’d Chloé go?” Marinette wondered. 

“Out the window,” Sabrina answered. “I tried to stop her, but Alix said it was fine.”

Alix was missing too. Had they both known? And for how long….

There was going to be another fight tonight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you just imagine what's going through the minds of the seven classmates that aren't aware of what just happened?


	7. Gala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to make this longer but.... Oh well. I really wanted to get to the NY Special. 
> 
> Have the dresses though! https://cornerverse.tumblr.com/post/636278797918945280/sorry-that-its-just-chibi-ones-instead-of-full

The Gala was going better than most. Well, at least in Honeybee’s opinion. 

It was the first Gala she could be more herself at. Other ones, she was playing ‘the Mayor’s Daughter’. She had to play nice, help her dad make connections to gain votes or campaign funding. There was a difference between her current goal of being nicer, and the ‘nice’ she played when at these types of functions. 

Chat, Arashi, and Bunnyx felt the same. They all had gone to these Galas before, and knew the routine. But now? They didn’t have to do that. 

Team Miraculous wasn’t here to play nice for funding, business contracts, or any other reason. And while they weren’t going to go off the handle and be rude, they weren’t going to kiss up to anyone. 

Honeybee glared at the conversation she was eavesdropping on. Snagging a glass from a passing waiter, she walked over. The group was a little too interested in their own conversation to hear the click of her heels on the tile. 

“Hey,” Honeybee said, making all of them jump. “I couldn’t help but overhear you talking about my friend’s dress/”

They all stammered for a response, like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. 

“Roi Singe does look very eye catching, doesn’t he?” Honeybee asked.

A few nodded, fear evident. She took a drink to keep them from seeing the amused smile on her face. 

“I’m sure you’re wondering where you can buy a dress like that!” Honeybee grinned wider, putting on the fake chipper she uses on hotel guests. “When we heard about the Gala, the Team decided to go to a wonderful designer, MDC. Replicas of all of our outfits are on her website for commissions!”

Without another word, she whirled around and walked off. Continuing her drink as she wandered through the crowd. 

A flash of red out of the corner of her eye, and she didn’t jump when a hand was on her arm. 

“What was that?” Ladybug asked. 

“They were making some rude comments,” Honeybee shrugged. “The kind of things even the old me wouldn’t say.”

“And you decided to promote the website?” she glared. 

“Yep,” she said. “It was either scare them into doing something nice,or just scare them by calling them out. Didn’t feel like making a scene over that.”

Ladybug seemed to give her that poing, only sighing as they walked. The rest of the Team was spread out as well. Some were more awkward, unsure what to say. Others were the opposite, not caring what they said or did as they had no reputation to protect. 

Right when Honeybee thought about seeing what Bunnyx was up to, she noticed her parents taking the stage. Ah. It’s that point in the night. 

“I’m glad you all could make it here!” Mr. Bourgeois announced. “To kick off our fundraisers tonight, we have a raffle! One class from one school in Paris will get an all-expenses paid field trip to New York for French-American Friendship week!”

There was a polite round of applause from the crowd. Most of them probably didn’t care, unless their own children were to win. 

It seems they’re going for an actual raffle. Even brought out the drum filled with plastic balls. Each ball was labeled with a school. Inside each ball were strips of paper with the names of homeroom teachers. 

Mr. Bourgeois turned the drum, mixing up the balls, before reaching in and grabbing one. 

"And the winning school is…" Mr. Bourgeois announced, pausing for dramatic effect. "Françoise Dupont!"

There was a round of cheering from the crowd. Honeybee, however, gave a sideways glance at Ladybug before glaring at the stage. If he was doing what she thought he was doing….

Mr. Bourgeois opened the ball and handed it to his wife. With a bored expression, Audrey pulled one of the papers out.

"And the winning Homeroom teacher is…" Mr. Bourgeois set up. 

"Carmine Buster," Audrey said. 

"Er, Caline Bustier, dear," he corrected. 

Another round of polite cheers. But while Team Miraculous joined, all had contemplative looks. 

"What are the chances this is a coincidence?" Ladybug whispered. 

"Either your luck gave us an excuse to meet American Heroes," Honeybee replied, "or my dad rigged this to give me a trip."

If it was, she was going to have a few words with him about it. 

The night went on. More talking, more raffles and speeches of projects for French-American Friendship week. Occasionally they'd take a break and allow the guests to dance and eat. 

It was pretty standard for a Gala, really. A bit boring for the Team. Not that any of them were willing to jinx it by voicing that. 

Eventually, it was Team Miraculous's turn to take the stage and discuss their plans for the upcoming week. Well, only Ladybug and Chat Noir took the stage. They were the leaders after all. 

"I'm glad we could be here," Ladybug said. "I know several of you are wondering if our Team is going to do anything for French-American Friendship Week. Well, I'm happy to announce that we do have some plans to talk with a few American Heroes."

"Nothing set in stone," Chat said. "After all, we can't just call them up as easily as we'd like!"

"But don't worry," she continued. "We won't be leaving Paris unattended. Some of our members will stay here. The rest of us have ways to get back quickly if needed."

That helped everyone relax. Couldn’t let Paris deal with Hawkmoth alone. Part of her wondered how well the city would fare if they didn’t have Ladybug’s Miraculous Cure, and had to rebuild from scratch like other cities did after Hero fights. 

Honeybee was still contemplating the ‘win’ from earlier. Should she confront her dad on that or not? It didn’t matter much. They’d still be using the trip. 

Ah, well. At least this would be interesting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The NY Special will be it's own separate fic. Mostly because I don't want it getting lost in this. But you know how it be.


End file.
